naturalize

verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

transitive verb

1

: to confer the rights of a national on

especially : to admit to citizenship

2

: to introduce into common use or into the vernacular

3

: to bring into conformity with nature

4

: to cause (something, such as a plant) to become established as if native

intransitive verb

: to become established as if native

Examples of naturalize in a Sentence

The government refused to naturalize them without documentation.

naturalized citizens of the U.S.

Several Asian fish have become naturalized in these lakes.

Before you naturalize bulbs in your lawn, fertilize well.

These daisies naturalize well in the Pacific Northwest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Clue: This naturalized U.S. citizen who hosted Jeopardy! —Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 June 2024

On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize rose as much as 19% for some applicants. —Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024

For instance, the country that naturalizes the most investors today is Turkey, which even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was taking in more than 1,000 applicants per month. —Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023

Many eligible voters are naturalized U.S. citizens who are too busy navigating daily life in a new country – and working – to learn a complicated new political system. —Mansee Khurana, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

naturalize

verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈnach-(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

1

: to introduce into common use

naturalize a foreign word

2

: to become or cause to become established as if native

naturalized weeds

3

: to give the rights and privileges of citizenship to

naturalize a foreign-born person

Legal Definition

naturalize

transitive verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈna-chə-rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

: to admit (a person) to citizenship

naturalization

ˌna-chə-rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun